NHL News and Rumors – June 19, 2009

While the teams on Dany Heatley’s preferred list have not yet leaked out, the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers — all close to his family home in Calgary and his summer home in Kelowna — are most prominently being mentioned among NHL agents and general managers.

However, Heatley may find the path to his dream team blocked by the length and size of his contract, which general managers are telling agents is “untradeable” to all but three or four teams. That could force the Heatley camp into three unpalatable choices: accept a trade to a team not on the preferred list, sit out and not get paid or return to Ottawa.

This talk on the street reinforces how difficult it will be for Senators general manager Bryan Murray to deal Heatley, who has five years left on his contract, with a cap hit of $7.5 million U.S. a year.

“The term and money of his contract are difficult for a lot of teams to deal with,” one prominent U.S.-based agent said Thursday. “I’ve talked to a lot of (general managers) over the last few days and they say that he is untradeable except to maybe three or four teams, and those are teams that are not desirable.”

Sun sources have confirmed the NHL and Calgary Flames have put the wheels in motion to host a New Year’s Day Winter Classic game at McMahon Stadium this coming season.

National Hockey League officials have visited the home of the Stampeders in anticipation of holding a game there, but have not yet put a contract in place with the McMahon Stadium Society to hold an outdoor game Jan. 1, 2010.

McMahon holds more than 35,600 fans for football games, but with the Grey Cup game scheduled for Nov. 29, extra bleachers will have seating for more than 45,000.

Flames president Ken King last night wouldn’t confirm a report from ESPN The Magazine the league is planning for a Winter Classic game in Calgary.

Todd Bertuzzi is beginning to wonder if no news is bad news when it comes to the Calgary Flames.

“I haven’t heard anything from them,” Bertuzzi said Thursday from his off-season home near Kitchener, Ont. “I haven’t spoken to them. They haven’t contacted me. They haven’t called. And I didn’t talk to them at the end of the year, either.

“So I’m kind of in the dark about anything that’s going on.”

The bruising winger is eligible for free agency on July 1 after one season in Calgary.

Through 66 games last season, Bertuzzi potted 15 goals and 44 points, along with 74 penalty minutes. In six playoff appearances, he notched one goal and two points on a wonky knee.

In a perfect world, Bertuzzi wants to return to Calgary. His daughter Jaden, 10, and son Tag, 8, loved their school and extracurricular activities. His wife Julie also felt at home.

But the 34-year-old has no idea if the Flames want him as badly as he wants them.

“I have no clue,” he said. “I thought by now I might have gotten a call, but I’m not sure what’s going on.